Springbok Sevens Rugby: Rio Olympics 2016

Springbok Sevens Rugby: Rio Olympics 2016

The 2016 Olympic Games has begun in Rio de Janeiro and it marks the return of rugby after 92 years of absence. From 1900 to 1924, rugby was considered an Olympic sport until Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee and responsible for rugby’s inclusion in the games, stepped down. Many teams became uninterested in participating in the Olympics and the sport was excluded.

In this exciting Olympics, Sevens Rugby will be included for the first time in history after a number of IRB representatives and former players felt strongly about reintroducing the sport into the Olympic Games. In October 2009, Sevens Rugby was approved as a sport in the 2016 Rio Olympics, as well as the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Participating Teams

While the world of rugby has mostly been a male dominated sport, this year’s Olympic Games will feature both men’s and women’s teams from various countries.